Waiting for the Floor to Drop
by QueenY C
Summary: As it turns out, it takes less than a minute to change everything Kurt thought he knew about his life . Kurt receives a text from Blaine that puts their relationship into perspective. Spoilers for 4x18.


**Waiting for the Floor to Drop**

**A/N: I'm not generally a reaction fic kinda girl, but this episode left me with so much emotion I just had to write something down and more than anything I wanted to know what Kurt (and Adam's) reactions would be to the news of the shooting. And then this happened. **

**Disclaimer: Glee is not mine, obviously. Title comes from David Gray's A Moment Changes Everything**

As it turns out, it takes less than a minute to change everything Kurt thought he knew about his life and it starts, absurdly, with the beeping of his ("I swear I thought it was silenced, Ms. July") cell phone five minutes before the end of his partner dance class.

"If your social life is more important than learning how NOT to drop your partner during a pas de deux lift, Hummel, by all means feel free to take your call," Cassandra says dangerously.

Kurt shakes his head and runs to his bag to shut if off, sticking his tongue out at Adam who is waiting by the door and trying to hide his laughter, as he goes.

And then he makes the fatal mistake of glancing down at the message flashing across his screen and feels his legs give out from under him.

"Kurt," Adam shouts in alarm, his teasing manner gone in a moment. Distantly, Kurt is also aware of several of his classmates whispering or gasping their surprise, he thinks Cassandra might also be speaking to him though he isn't sure if her words are concerned or annoyed. He thinks his knees might ache later with the impact of his fall, thinks his heart might have stopped beating and then started again so quickly that maybe his father's heart condition is genetic, thinks every last ounce of oxygen might have been sucked out of the room.

_Kurt, there's a shooter at the school and I just needed to tell you, in case I never get the chance_ _again, that I'm sorry, I love you and I hope that you find your happiness, baby. _

"Blaine," Kurt whimpers, staring at the message on his phone like he can erase the words if he just gazes at them hard enough.

"Kurt, what's going on," Adam asks, cupping his cheek and forcing Kurt's eyes to finally lose focus with his phone screen. "Kurt, you're scaring me. Talk to me."

"There…there was a sh-shooting at McKinley," he finally manages to answer, his voice trembling with more emotions than he is even aware he can feel all at once.

"Wh-what?" Adam's voice is high pitched with his shock and he grips Kurt's arms bracingly. "You're sure?"

Kurt nods and then shakes his head and then just sort of pauses, unsure of what to say or do or think except for the stray thought that he has to get on a plane. Like now.

"I have to get to Lima."

"Kurt, you can't just fly to Ohio, honey. By the time you got there, it would all be over anyway. We'll go back to your place. Maybe Santana and Rachel will have news and—"

'NO," Kurt shouts, because apparently he's lost his ability for volume control. "No, you don't understand, he's there, he's there and I'm not and I don't—"

Adam's breath catches then, drawing Kurt's attention for another brief moment from the raging panic in his head. "Blaine. Blaine's at the school." It's not a question, but Kurt nods anyway, feeling tears well up in his eyes and trickle down his cheeks. "He's who texted you, isn't he?" Another nod in response. Kurt thinks he sees something come together in Adam's eyes then but before he can think or comment or try to build an apology out of the jumble in his head, Adam is speaking again. "Right. I'll call Rachel. Call your dad and see if he knows what's going on and if he can pull strings to get you on a plane."

Kurt nods and with an unimaginable ache in his chest he closes the text from Blaine, terrified to respond in case the phone makes a noise and puts him in any more danger. Instead he holds down speed dial 1 and waits for his dad's voice to answer him and make things okay again. "Kurt, Buddy, I was just about to call you. McKinley—"

"I know," Kurt chokes out, his voice croaky and low. "Dad, I need to get home, please I just…"

"I gotcha, Kid, already working on getting you a flight. What about Rachel and Santana, are they going to want to come?"

"I…I don't know I haven't…I was in class and I—"

"Breathe, Kurt," his dad says calmly and Kurt does so, never more thankful for the amazing man that is his father. "I'll book the next three tickets out of JFK for you. Can you be at the airport within the hour?"

"I'm going straight there now," he decides in that moment. "Thank you Dad, I just—"

"I know, Kid. When you hear from Blaine, call me, understand?"

"I will," Kurt promises, choking his tears back. "I love you, Daddy."

"I love you too, I'll see you soon."

Kurt isn't sure what Adam said, how he managed to get Kurt excused from his classes for the rest of week in the five minutes Kurt was on the phone home to his father, but he doesn't care right now, he'll thank him later. All that matters is that he gets to Lima as fast as humanly possible.

"Rachel and Santana are on their way," Adam says, drawing Kurt from his thoughts as they take seats in the waiting area of the terminal, waiting for Kurt's flight. "Santana sounds like a mess."

"Britt," Kurt tries to explain.

"They broke up at the beginning of the year, yeah?"

"Breaking up doesn't mean you stop loving someone," Kurt answers, realizing only a moment too late that he's not really talking about Brittana anymore.

Adam freezes, sighs and falls defeated into the seat beside Kurt. "Did I ever have a chance?"

"Adam," Kurt whimpers, guilt churning in his stomach because he isn't even sure what the truth is anymore.

Adam smiles ruefully. "It's okay, Kurt. Really. We've had fun, you're a really great guy. I hope he knows what he's got."

"I don't even know if he's okay," Kurt chokes out, his heart clenching again in a way that is so painful he is sure that he is going to die from not knowing.

"You have to believe that he is. And, Kurt, I know he'll be fine."

"How can you possibly know that?"

"Because your story is obviously not finished yet."

Adam leaves when Rachel and Santana show up, eyes red-rimmed and a small bag packed for him. They all hug for a moment and glance to the overhead screen, which reminds them that they can't board their flight for another twenty minutes. Kurt thinks the wait might actually kill them.

"Have you heard anything else," are the first words out of Santana's mouth. "Brittany?"

Kurt shakes his head. "Nobody knows anything who's outside the school. Tina…Tina called but all she could tell me was that she was evacuated and that the Glee club was all still inside. I don't…I don't know what…" He shrugs helplessly.

"They'll be okay." Rachel has never sounded so sure of anything in her life, not even her Streisand-like talent. "They'll be okay, because they have to be."

Kurt prays she is right. Actually prays for the first time in his life.

And then his phone rings out Teenage Dream.

His hands shake as he accepts the call. "Blaine?"

"Kurt! God, Kurt! I'm so happy to hear you voice and I just—" Blaine breaks off into a sob.

"It's okay, sweetie, it's okay. Are you alright? Are you hurt? Talk to me, sweetie, please," He pleads, his voice trembling beyond his control.

"I'm okay. We're-we're all okay. I don't know what happened yet, but we're fine. Everyone in New Directions is here except for Tina, I don't know—"

"I talked to her, she's fine. She was evacuated almost thirty minutes ago."

"Thank God. I just…I don't even know what to say. I thought I'd never hear your voice again and we never made things right and I just love you so much, Kurt. I love you so much and I don't even remember if I said that the last time I saw you."  
"I love you too, Blaine, I love you too and I've been so stupid but I'm getting on a plane and I'm coming to you and I'm so glad you're okay, sweetie. I'm so, so thankful—"

"Breathe, Baby," Blaine says softly, his own voice strangled with emotions but an element of calm sinking in as Kurt melts down. This is their way, give and take, push and pull. One always the comforter, though they often take turns on who it will be. Kurt does as instructed, only then realizing that he's been gasping for air through his meltdown, balling his fists to the point of drawing little bloody crescent shapes onto his palm. "I love you too," Blaine says then. "More than you will ever understand."

"I love you so much," Kurt sobs.

"Kurt," Rachel's voice interrupts, her hand grabs his shoulder gently. "They're calling our flight, it's time to get on the plane."

Kurt nods his understanding, quickly passes on Blaine's message that everyone is okay and realizes for the first time that Santana is also on the phone, tearfully teasing someone who can only be Brittany.

"I've got to get on the plane now," He tells Blaine then.

He can actually see Blaine nodding sadly in his head during the brief pause after his statement. "Okay."

"I will be at your house as soon as possible."

"You don't have—"

"I really, really do," Kurt interrupts. "I love you, Blaine."

"I love you too. I'll see you soon?"

"Not soon enough."


End file.
